Haram Imaams denounce terrorist attacks

The imams of the two holy mosques in Makkah and Madeenah yesterday denounced recent terrorist attacks in the Kingdom and said the terrorists were playing in the hands of Islam’s enemies.

“Our hearts tremble… from these criminal acts in Riyadh, from what followed in Yanbu… because they claimed sacred lives,” said Dr. Osama Khayyat, an imam at al-Masjid al-Haraam in Makkah.

Delivering his sermon to the thousands of faithful who thronged the mosque for the Friday prayer, the imam reiterated that Islam prohibits the killing of innocent people.

The imam was referring to the killing of five Western engineers and a National Guard officer in the latest terrorist attack in the industrial city of Yanbu and the suicide bombing of a security forces building in Riyadh, which killed six people, including four security men and a young girl, and wounded 145 others.

The imam accused the perpetrators of the attacks, suspected sympathizers of the Al-Qaeda terror network, of being stooges of Muslims’ enemies. “In truth, who benefits from these actions? The Muslims or their enemies?” asked Khayyat.

“How can a reasonable person become a willing tool in the hands of his enemies and the enemies of his country and the (Islamic) nation?” he asked, urging worshipers to denounce violence and stand united against this “grave danger.”

In Madeenah, his words were echoed by Sheikh Hussein Al-Asheikh, one of the imams of al-Masjid an-Nabawee, who also said the main purpose of the Sharee’ah was to assure the happiness of the whole of mankind.

“Islamic teachings aim to achieve lofty and noble goals…every activity of a Muslim should conform to the objectives set by his religion.”

“The criminal actions that took place in the Kingdom are despicable. They violate the orders of God and the teachings of His Prophet…They will only serve the interests of our enemies,” he added.